Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of participants by group.
| Characteristics | Group 1 (n=226) | Group 2 (n=214) | |||
| Acutea, n (%) | 59 (26.1) | 53 (24.8) | |||
| Chronicb, n (%) | 167 (73.9) | 161 (75.2) | |||
| Age at consent (years), mean (SD) | 47.8 (14.1) | 48.1 (14.0) | |||
| Gender, n (%) | |||||
|
|
Female | 174 (77) | 161 (75.2) | ||
|
|
Male | 49 (21.7) | 53 (24.8) | ||
|
|
Other | 3 (1.3) | 0 (0) | ||
| Height (cm), mean (SD) | 168.8 (10.1) | 169.6 (9.3) | |||
| Mass (kg), mean (SD) | 83.7 (20.1) | 83.7 (20.7) | |||
| BMI (kg/m2), median (IQR) | 28.9 (24.5-33.6) | 27.7 (24.1-32.6) | |||
| Level of education, n (%) | |||||
|
|
High school certificate | 38 (16.8) | 30 (14) | ||
|
|
Trade certificate | 25 (11.1) | 22 (10.3) | ||
|
|
Diploma | 37 (16.4) | 29 (13.6) | ||
|
|
Advanced diploma | 12 (5.3) | 13 (6.1) | ||
|
|
Bachelor degree | 59 (26.1) | 57 (26.6) | ||
|
|
Postgraduate degree | 36 (15.9) | 52 (24.3) | ||
|
|
Other | 19 (8.4) | 11 (5.1) | ||
| Employment status, n (%) | |||||
|
|
Full time/full duties | 77 (34.1) | 81 (37.9) | ||
|
|
Full time/selected duties | 8 (3.5) | 2 (0.9) | ||
|
|
Part time/full duties | 33 (14.6) | 43 (20.1) | ||
|
|
Part time/selected duties | 22 (9.7) | 9 (4.2) | ||
|
|
Not working/unemployed | 4 (1.8) | 6 (2.8) | ||
|
|
Not working/employed/retraining | 2 (0.9) | 1 (0.5) | ||
|
|
Not working/unemployed/retraining | 4 (1.8) | 7 (3.3) | ||
|
|
Not working/unemployed | 13 (5.8) | 12 (5.6) | ||
|
|
Not seeking employment | 63 (27.9) | 53 (24.8) | ||
| Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander, n (%) | 3 (1.3) | 3 (1.4) | |||
| Born in Australia, n (%) | 159 (70.4) | 161 (75.2) | |||
| First experience of LBPc, n (%) | 14 (6.2) | 12 (5.6) | |||
| Number of episodes of LBP, n (%) | |||||
|
|
1-5 | 24 (11.3) | 16 (8) | ||
|
|
5-10 | 16 (7.5) | 23 (11.4) | ||
|
|
10-15 | 11 (5.2) | 10 (5) | ||
|
|
15-20 | 7 (3.3) | 14 (7) | ||
|
|
More than 20 | 63 (29.7) | 54 (26.9) | ||
|
|
I am never without LBP | 91 (42.9) | 84 (41.8) | ||
| Ever been given a diagnosis of LBP, n (%) | 128 (56.6) | 125 (58.4) | |||
| Have pain or altered sensation in buttocks/legs, n (%) | 166 (73.5) | 155 (72.4) | |||
| Had problems with your bowel or bladder function since your back pain started, n (%) | |||||
|
|
Bladder | 21 (9.3) | 17 (7.9) | ||
|
|
Bowel | 22 (9.7) | 15 (7) | ||
|
|
Bladder and bowel | 30 (13.3) | 22 (10.3) | ||
|
|
No | 153 (67.7) | 160 (74.8) | ||
| Had treatment for current episode of LBP, n (%) | 142 (62.8) | 116 (54.2) | |||
| Had treatments for previous episodes of LBP, n (%) | 174 (82.5) | 166 (82.6) | |||
| Have other medical conditions, n (%) | 141 (62.4) | 134 (62.6) | |||
| Have pain in other part of spine, n (%) | 134 (59.3) | 132 (61.7) | |||
| Feel pain in other areas of body, n (%) | 143 (63.3) | 130 (60.7) | |||
a<6 weeks duration following period of no pain for at least 4 weeks.
b≥6 weeks duration.
cLBP: low back pain.